- AcademicsA+
- ValueA+
- DiversityA+
- CampusA-
- AthleticsB
- Party SceneA-
- ProfessorsA+
- LocationB
- DormsA-
- Campus FoodA
- Student LifeA+
- SafetyB
Claremont McKenna College is ...
Private not-for-profit
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Address
500 E 9th St
Claremont, CA 91711
Website
Claremont McKenna College Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
11%
SAT Range
1350-1520
ACT Range
30-33
Application Fee
$70
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Recommended
Application Website
Students also applied to ...
Will You Get In?
Test Scores and GPA for Claremont McKenna College
Cost
Net Price
$23,982/ year
National
$15,431Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Academics
Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
8:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
- 96%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.26 responses
- 81%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.26 responses
- 68%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.25 responses
Majors
Most Popular Majors
Economics
67 GraduatesLiberal Arts and Humanities
44 GraduatesPolitical Science and Government
39 GraduatesPsychology
26 GraduatesAccounting
25 GraduatesBiology
19 GraduatesInternational Relations and National Security Studies
18 GraduatesEnvironmental Studies
9 GraduatesPhilosophy
9 GraduatesEnglish
7 Graduates
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
1,298Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
0%
Pell Grant
16%
Varsity Athletes
38%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
- 95%
- of students say they don't have Greek life.22 responses
Poll
- 59%
- of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.32 responses
After Claremont McKenna College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$63,600/ year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
90%
National
47%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
92%
National
83%- 70%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.10 responses
Claremont McKenna College Reviews
403 reviews
All Categories
I've had some great classes and experiences at CMC, and a few that weren't so great. Anyone coming to CMC should be aware that the social scene is pretty centered on alcohol and partying (though there is a substance free dorm with a strong culture, and a surprisingly high number of people who don't drink/go out). Thankfully, the parties are on campus, hosted by the student government, and open to everyone. There isn't a whole lot of the sketchiness or exclusivity that usually comes with frat parties at larger schools, since parties are open to everyone. I see this as a huge benefit of the school, though I no longer regularly attend parties.
It's really easy to get involved in things you're interested in, whether that's student government, a club, or research. Research opportunities are probably more available for Econ majors than others, and in the sciences/engineering you won't have the same kind of research experiences you would at a school that has real researchers.
We have some great professors here. Philosophy is by far the best, and there are some excellent professors in probably all of our other departments as well. In my opinion as someone majoring in both, our government and economics departments aren't deserving of the reputations they have. I wouldn't come here looking to study science, engineering, or pre-med, unless I'm also really interested in studying the humanities/social sciences. Classwork is generally reasonable, though challenging. People are motivated, but not super competitive with each other or stressed out, which is great.
Many CMC students are smart, motivated, and interested in their academic subjects. Others are more interested in partying. Many are a mix of both. People are not particularly artsy or creative; if you are, you might feel that side of yourself slipping away over your four years here (though we're getting better and now have a dedicated music space on campus). It can feel small after 4 years, but overall great!
It's really easy to get involved in things you're interested in, whether that's student government, a club, or research. Research opportunities are probably more available for Econ majors than others, and in the sciences/engineering you won't have the same kind of research experiences you would at a school that has real researchers.
We have some great professors here. Philosophy is by far the best, and there are some excellent professors in probably all of our other departments as well. In my opinion as someone majoring in both, our government and economics departments aren't deserving of the reputations they have. I wouldn't come here looking to study science, engineering, or pre-med, unless I'm also really interested in studying the humanities/social sciences. Classwork is generally reasonable, though challenging. People are motivated, but not super competitive with each other or stressed out, which is great.
Many CMC students are smart, motivated, and interested in their academic subjects. Others are more interested in partying. Many are a mix of both. People are not particularly artsy or creative; if you are, you might feel that side of yourself slipping away over your four years here (though we're getting better and now have a dedicated music space on campus). It can feel small after 4 years, but overall great!
Our varsity sports teams are not all amazing, but participation in athletics is very common at this school. Many CMCers are student-athletes, but generally, academics are above and beyond more important to these students. Sporting events are attended and are fun, but I would compare them more to high school games than college events. While not everyone attends sporting events and some do not participate in varsity or club sports, intramural sports are popular and effortless to get involved with. Overall, school spirit here is about much more than sports team pride. Sco stags and athenas!
Most classes are uninspiring, and good profs are hard to get. Unless you major in Econ and CS, job opportunities are virtually nonexistent. You need family connections, or else people think you go to community college. "Research" here is a joke. Dorms suck unless you love the smell of weed and the sight of people throwing up. Despite low acceptance rate (misleading because E/D rate is 30%), a lot of people here are dumb and overconfident. Avoid if you seek intellectual stimulation. Come if you love the sound of your own voice.